Pneumatic thread remover for looms



Dec. 9, 1947. L. J. HooPr-:R ET AL PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR LOOMSFiled Dec. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS LESLIE J. HOU/ER GEORGE'N. PETERSON www ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1947. L. J. HooPER Er AL VI'NIIUM-TICTHREAD REMOVER FOR LOOMS Filed DSC. 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 Olmo 2\32 6 III Ill.

INVENTORS LESLIE J. HOOPE? Patented Dec. 9, 1947 PNEUMATIC THREADREMOVER FOR LOOMS Leslie .3. Hooper, Holden, and George N. Peterson,

Grafton, Mass.,

assignors to Crompton &`

Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication December 13, 1946, Serial No. 715,952

22 Claims.

This invention relates t improvements in pneumatic thread removers forlooms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a removerwhich is efficient in operation and also prevents retrograde movement ofthe thread after it has entered the remover.

In weft replenishing looms it is necessary to remove the weft end whichextends from the bobbin expelled at the time of a weft replenishingoperation, and this has been done in the past by means of pneumatictubes or the like which are moved into thread catching and removingposition by the transferrer mechanism. These tubes as heretofore madehave not had provision for holding the weft end except by movable clampsor the like which are generally inaccessible for repair or ad- Justment,and serve to block the air passage. Unless the thread is held againstretrograde movement it is likely to move out of the tube and becomewhipped into the warp shed and thus defeat the purpose of the remover.

It is an important object of our present invention to construct a threadremover in such manner that the free end of the thread when transportedpneumatically into the thread remover will be Wrapped around anchormeans which hold it. The anchor means may be in the form of a spindleextending along an air passage for the thread, and the thread may beWrapped on the spindle by a column of air rotating around it.

In order to cause rotation of the air stream it is another object of theinvention to introduce the air tangentially into an air chamberpreferably of cylindrical form and provided with an axial outlet alongwhich the spindle extends. In this way the free end of the thread is rstdrawn into the intake mouth, then into the air chamber, and then whirledaround the spindle several times and wrapped on it. The thread extendsfrom the spindle which holds it to the selvage and is kept taut. Whenthe thread is later out at the selvage the cut end is drawn into theintake mouth and the end previously wrapped on the spindle is unwound,or slackened, so that the whole length of thread can be movedpneumatically to a thread collector.

The spindle preferably has a slight taper and is so disposed that itsdiameter diminishes in the direction in which air flows throughtheoutlet passage, which is preferably cylindrical. We have found thatif the outlet passage is too large in diameter with respect to thespindle the wrapping is insufcient, and if the air passage is too smallit is difficult to get suiiicient air through it to move 2 the thread.When the spindle and outlet passage are made more or less as set forthhereinafter and shown in the drawings we find that the thread iseifectively coiled on and held by the Spindle.

In the operation of a pneumatic thread control system it is importantthat the partial vacuum be held as near atmospheric pressure as possibleto prevent consumption of excess power by the air pump or other meansfor creating subatmospheric pressures. It is another object of theinvention to construct a thread remover in such manner that it will makemost eiiicient use of the air which is drawn into its intake mouth, andthereby permit the use of a low pressure pump.

In order to adopt the remover for use with various sizes and types ofyarn it is another object of the invention to provide means by which thetapered spindle can be adjusted lengthwise of the outlet passage to varythe size of the space around the spindle along which the thread passes.The holder for the spindle may be transparent, if desired, to enable theoperator t0 determine when the correct adjustment has been attained.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, our invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of ourinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a loom With our invention appliedthereto,

Fig. 2 is a plan View on an enlarged scale looking in the direction ofarrow 2, Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2showing the thread remover in normal or non-operating position,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of part of the thread remover shownin Fig. 3,

Fig, 5 is a rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 4,f

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the thread remover showing theintake passage and air chamber and looking toward the outlet passage,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 1 1 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig- 1, the loom frame It has top and bottom shafts II andI2 respectively, connected by the usual gears I3 and I4. A driving gearI5 fast on the top shaft meshes with a driving pinion I6 operated by anelectric motor M which may be supported in any manner, as by a bracketI1 bolted to the loom frame.

The loom has a lay 20 provided with a shuttle box 2I to receive ashuttle S, see Fig. 2. A magazine 22 preferably though not necessarilyof the rocking type is supported on a stand 23 rxed to the loom frameand has a tranferrer arm 24 to which is pivoted a transferrer latch 25for engagement with a bunter 26 on the lay 25 at the time of weftreplenishment.

The shuttle box has a shuttle binder 30 slotted at 3| to receive athread cutter 32 which cooperates with a plate 33 on the front wall ofthe shuttle to cut the weft thread T leading from bobbin B, throughdelivery eye 34, and across the plate. At the time of replenishment whenthe cutting occurs the left end of the thread will be attached to thefabric F and its free end will extend between the shuttle and thebinder. When the shuttle is next picked the free end becomes loose andcan be whipped into the shed unless prevented from doing so.

The transferrer arm is pivotally mounted on a relatively large stud 35fixed to the stand or support 23, and mounted also for angular movementon this stud is a carrier 36 aording slidable support for a rod 31 urgedrearwardly by a compression spring 3B and limited as to rearwardmovement by engagement of a stop collar 39 with the carrier. The rearpart of rod 31 is provided with a head 4Q which supports the structureto be described hereinafter and forming an important part of the presentinvention. An air pump 42 is driven by a belt 43 from the motor M andserves to create subatmospheric pressures Within a conduit 44.

The matter thus far described operates in the usual manner and may bemade in known manner. When the transierrer arm descends it serves asoperating means to lower the carrier 35 and also head as the layapproaches its front center position. As the lay recedes a resetting rod45 raises the carrier 36 to reset the head in its normal high position.The lay may be provided with a mass of soft deformable material 46, suchas plush, located between the shuttle box and the selvage and acrosswhich the weft end T extends from the selvage to the shuttle.

In "carrying the present invention into effect we provide means by whichthe free end of the thread T can be attracted pneumatically and attachedtemporarily to holding or anchor means in such manner as to preventretrograde movement and hold it taut out of the path of the shuttle.Accordingly, the head 40 is provided with a hollow casing having asubstantially circular or cylindrical thread compartment or chamber 5|closed at one end by a cap 52 secured to the casing by bolts 53. Theother end of the chamber, at the left in Fig. rI, is defined by a, wall54 on casing 5E). The thread chamber 5| communi- Cates with two airpassages one of which is the inlet bore 55 of a tube 56 fast withrespect to and depending from the casing 56. Bore 55 enters chamber 5|tangentially in the manner shown in Fig. 6. A thread lifting tongue 51is secured to the bottom of tube 56 and is inclined downwardly andforwardly below passage 55.

The second or outlet passage 60 leads from the chamber 5| preferablyalong the axis thereof, or concentrically therewith, and opens into apipe 6| secured by the bolts 53 to the casing 55. The casing thereforehas a circular or cylindrical chamber 5| communicating tangentially withan inlet air passage 55 and axially with another or outlet passage 60.

Cap 52 has secured thereto a thread anchor means, shown here as aspindle or pin 66, which extends from the cap across the chamber 5|preferably axially of it and of the air passage 60, as shown in Fig. '1.This anchor pin should preferably be tapered with its smaller endpointing away from chamber 5|. The pin therefore grows smaller in thedirection of air ilow from the chamber 5| to the pipe 6|. The taper ofthe pin is preferably gradual and about as shown in Fig. 7 A cylindricalpin, or one having a substantially larger taper than that shown can bemade to operate, but we find that the best operation results if the pinhas a slight taper.

The lower end of tube 56 is so formed as to provide an intake mouth 10located above tongue 51 and communicating with inlet passage 55. Thismouth receives the thread T, and may be made either as shown herein, oras made heretofore. Tongue 51 enters the plush 46 and extends below thelevel of the thread resting on the plush when the remover is inoperating position. A thread collector 15, Fig. 1, is connectedpneumatically with tube 44 so that subatmospheric pressures exist withinit, and the collector is connected to tube 6| by a conduit 16 shown inFig. 3. The thread collector and the tubes connected to it may be ofusual construction. The usual temple cutter 12 is located near thefabric.

In operation, the head 46 will normally be in the raised position shownin Fig. 3 and pump 42 will cause a column of air to enter the intakemouth 16 and ow along bore 55 and enter tangentially into chamber 5|,where it travels in a curved path around pin 66, and then escapesthrough the bore 621. The air rotates clockwise in chamber 5| and aroundthe anchor pin 66 as viewed in Fig. 6. Since in the present instance theair pump 42 runs continuously the column of air will travel as describedso long as motor M operates. We are not limited, however, `to acontinuously running pump.

When a replenishing operation is called the transferrer latch 25 will beraised to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby depressing thetransferrer arm and the casing 56 as the lay approaches front center.This operation places thc remover intermediate the fabric and the pointof cutting by cutter 32. The lip 51 will enter the deformable material46 behind the thread T as the casing 55 reaches its lowest position.Cutter 32 then severs the thread at a point near the shuttle eye, theempty bobbin leaves the shuttle and a free end of thread T remainsbteween the shuttle and binder. As the lay recedes the thread T is movedrearwardly by the lay and plush 46 and is guided toward the intake mouth10 by the tongue 51. As soon as the free end of the thread is releasedby picking of the shuttle from the box 2| it will be transportedpneumatically upwardly along the passage 55 into the chamber 5|, andgiven a circular motion corresponding to that of the air within thechamber. This circular movement causes the thread to wrap around theanchor pin or spindle 66 and thereby establish a frictional holdingcontact with the pin which resists downward movement of the thread alongthe passage 55 when head 4D is later raised by rod 45 along a pathtransverse of the lay and thread. Since the thread has its left end,Fig. 2, still connected to the fabric, it will be held taut.

The amount of wrap of the thread on the pin 66 and its location thereonwill depend somewhat upon the length ofV the thread. If the latter be ofconsiderable length it may wrap around that part of the pin locatedwithin the passage 66, but in any event there Will be sufficientwrapping to hold the thread, and continued flow of air in passage 60will tend to keep the thread wrapped on the pin.

At some subsequent time the thread will be cut by the temple cutter i2,and the end thus released will be drawn up into passage 55 and will begiven a motion in a direction to unwind the coils of thread previouslywrapped on pin 65. The thread therefore is free to travel along thepassage 6E) into the tube 6l and thence to the thread collector. Cuttingat the selvage slackens the coils on the pin, and they may slide on" thelatter without being unwound. From this it will appear that we providein eifect a self-releasing lock for the thread which holds it taut solong as it is attached to the selvage, but releases the thread when itis severed by cutter l2. This result is accomplished without employingany moving parts other than the rotating column of air which passesaround the anchor pin SS.

We find also that because of the construction shown particularly inFigs. 6 and 7, the rotating air within the chamber 5i acts somewhat as acheck to prevent too rapid leakage of air into Vthe system. The crosssection of the passage lili available for movement of air around the pin65 is preferably less than that of the bore or passage 55, and becauseof the taper of pin 65 this cross section is a minimum where the passage6? communicates with the chamber 5t. Air therefore leaves the chamber 5lat a relatively high rate and exerts considerable pull on the thread.

The thread remover may at times operate with ne yarns and at other timeswith coarse thicker yarns. In order to adapt the anchor pin for use witha variety of yarns we provide for its adjustment along passage G for thepurpose of changing the size of the air space within the outlet passage.Accordingly, the spindle or pin 66 has a threaded shank all threadedinto a tapped bore 8l in a boss 82 on cap 52. A screw driver slot 83 andcheck nut 55 permit alteration in the position of the anchor pin alongthe bore 6D. If the pin be moved to the right, Fig. 7, the air spacearound it in passage Si? will be enlarged to accommodate large diameterthreads. If, on the other hand, the pin `be set farther into the borethe air space around it will be reduced for better operation with neyarns. The screw threads on shank 8B should preferably be coniined totapped bore 8l and not extend into chamber 5l. By making the casing 5S)of transparent material as a plastic, the behavior of the thread can beseen and the pin adjusted accordingly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided simple meanswhereby air pneumatically transporting a thread along a path or route inthe hollow casing causes the thread to wrap around an anchor means orpin located preferably in the chamber 5|. The thread is thus heldagainst retrograde movement out of the thread remover. This result weobtain by causing air and the free end of the thread to enter a circularor cylindrical chamber tangentially and then leave the chamber by apassage substantialy concentric with the aXis of the chamber. rIheanchor pin extends along this axis and has the thread Wrapped around itbecause of the rotating air. When the thread is cut at the selvage it isslackened and enters the chamber til in such a direction as to unwrapthe previous wrappings and therefore release the thread so that it cantravel along passage @d and tube 6| to the thread collector l5. however,slide cir the pin without unwinding. Furthermore, the construction andrelation of the passages 55 and Si) to the chamber 5l is such as Thecoils due to their slackness may,

to serve somewhat in the capacity of a check valve to prevent too greata leakage of air into the pneumatic system. We have found that theanchor pin 66 should have a smooth surface and be tapered. Axialadjustment of the anchor pin permits accommodation of the remover tovarious types of yarn. It is desirable that the pin enter the passage65, but it need not necessarily project beyond it to the extent shown inFig. 7.

Having thus described our invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope or the invention and We do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what we claim is:

1. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end ofwhich remains attached to the cloth and the other end of which is freeafter a weft replenishing operation, a casing having air inlet andoutlet passages and an air chamber between said passages so constructedthat air entering the chamber from the inlet pas- .sage is caused tofollow a rotary path, and thread anchor means disposed in the chamber insuch position that the free end of the thread in following along saidpath is wrapped around said anchor means.

2. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end ofwhich remains attached to the cloth and the other end 0I" which is freeafter a weft replenishing operation, hollow means providing a thread andair chamber connected to inlet and outlet air and thread passages, andthread anchor means in said chamber, said chamber being constructed insuch manner that air entering the chamber from the inlet passage followsa rotary path around said anchor means to wrap around the latter thefree end of the thread.

3. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end ofwhich remains attached to the cloth and the other end of which is freeafter a weft replenishing operation, hollow means providing an air pathfrom an intake f mouth to an outlet passage, thread anchor means in saidair path, and means causing air moving along said path from the intakemouth to follow a route around the anchor means.

4. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end ofwhich remains attached to the cloth and the other end of which is freeafter a weft replenishing operation, hollow means providing asubstantially circular air chamber and an intake air and thread passageentering the chamber tangentially thereto so that air and a threadentering the chamber from the intake passage move in a circular path inthe chamber, and anchor means within the chamber around which the airand thread move to wrap the latter on the anchor means.

5. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end attached tocloth in a loom and having the other end free, said remover providing aninclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber and an intakepassage for the free end of the thread entering the chamber tangentiallythereto and an outlet passage leading axially from the chamber, andanchor means for said free end of the thread extending axially of thechamber and around which air and said free end of the thread move whenpassing from the intake passage into the chamber and thence to theoutlet passage, whereby the thread is Wrapped around the anchor means.

6. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end attached tocloth in a loom and having the other end free, said remover providing aninclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber havingopposite sides and an intake passage for the free end of the threadentering the chamber tangentially thereto and an outlet passage leadingaxially from the chamber, said outlet passage communicating with thechamber at one side thereof, and a thread anchor pin secured to theother side of the chamber and extending axially of the chamber towardthe outlet passage, air and the free end of the thread when entering thechamber from the intake passage moving circularly around the pin to wrapthe thread thereon.

7. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end thereofattached to cloth in a loom and having the other end free, said removerproviding an inclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamberand an intake passage for the free end of the thread entering thechamber tangentially thereof and an outlet passage leading axially fromthe chamber, and a thread anchor pin Within said chamber extendingaxially thereof toward said outlet passage and tapered toward thelatter, air and the free end of the thread when entering the chamberfrom the intake passage moving circularly around the pin to wrap saidfree end thereon.

8. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end thereofattached to cloth in a loom and having the other end free, said removercomprising a hollow casing providing an inclosed substantiallycylindrical air and thread chamber and an intake passage entering thechamber tangentially thereof, and an outlet passage leading axially fromthe chamber, and a thread anchor spindle supported by said casing in thechamber extending axially of the latter and into said outlet passage,air and the free end of the thread when entering the chamber from theinlet passage moving circularly around the spindle to Wrap said free endthereof.

9. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end thereofattached to cloth in a loom and having the end thereof free, saidremover comprising a hollow casing providing an inclosed substantiallycylindrical air and thread chamber and an intake passage entering thechamber tangentially thereof and an outlet pasf sage leading axiallyfrom the chamber and in which subatmospheric pressures exist, and vathread anchor pin secured to said casing extending axially of and acrossthe chamber and into said outlet passage, said pin being tapered so thatthe part thereof in the outlet passage is smaller than the part thereofin said chamber, air and said free end of the thread when entering thechamber from the intake passage due to the subatmospheric pressure inthe outlet passage moving circularly around the pin to wrap said freeend thereon.

l0. In a weft replenishing loom in which a thread attached to the clothis severed at a point spaced from the cloth, thereby having a free end,a hollow pneumatic thread remover within which subatmospheric pressuresexist and having an intake mouth, said remover being normally in aposition with the mouth spaced from the thread but movable to place themouth in a receiving position adjacent to the thread intermediate saidpoint and the cloth, thread anchor means Within the remover, operatingmeans for the remover moving the mouth from normal to receivingposition, means within the remover causing air When moving the threadinto the remover through the mouth to wrap the free end of the threadaround said anchor means, and means thereafter operative to return theremover to normal position While the thread is attached to the cloth,said anchor means and cloth cooperating to keep the thread taut.

1l. In a weit replenishing loom having a thread attached to the cloth, apneumatic thread remover having an intake mouth adjacent to the threadand communicating with a chamber within the remover, a thread anchorwithin the remover, means to create subatmospheric pressures within theremover, said chamber being so formed that air moving the thread intothe mouth and chamber causes the thread t0 Wrap around the anchor, andmeans to move the remover in a direction transverse of the thread whilethe thread is attached to the cloth and wrapped around said anchor.

12. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth and extending alongthe lay and moving rearwardly therewith, a pneumatic thread removerhaving an intake mouth behind the thread and in position to receive thelatter as the lay moves rearwardly, said remover having a hollow chambertherein communicating with the mouth and within which subatmosphericpressures exist, a thread anchor within the chamber, said chamber beingso formed that air moving the thread through the mouth and into thechamber and transporting the thread causes the latter to wrap around theanchor, and means moving the remover transversely of the lay after thelatter by movement thereof has moved the thread to the mouth and whilethe thread is attached to the cloth and is wrapped around said anchor.

13. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a pneumatic threadremover having an intake mouth in position to receive the thread, saidremover having a hollow chamber therein communicating with the mouth andin which subatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor in saidchamber, said chamber being so formed that air pneumatically drawing thethread into the mouth and chamber due to said subatmospheric pressurescauses the thread to wrap around said anchor, the thread thereuponhaving the ends thereof held by the cloth and anchor.

14. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumaticthread remover having an intake mouth in position to receive the threadand communicating with the interior of the remover within whichsubatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor Within the remover,the interior of the remover being so formed that air moving the threadinto the mouth and into said interior of the chamber due to saidsubatmospheric pressures causes the thread to wrap around the anchor.

15. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumaticthread remover having an air chamber therein communicating with an inletpassage having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread andcommunicating with an outlet passage in which subatmospheric pressuresexist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, the latter being so formedthat air pneumatically transporting the thread and moving into the inletpassage and through the chamber and to the outlet passage due tosubatmospheric pressures in the latter causes the thread to wrap aroundsaid anchor.

16. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumaticthread remover having an air chamber therein, a thread anchor in saidchamber, pneumatic means including air transporting the thread to movethrough said chamber, the latter being so formed as to cause the airmoving therethrough to wrap the thread on the anchor.

17. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumaticthread remover having an air chamber therein communicating with an inletpassage having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread andcommunicating with an outlet passage in which subatmospheric pressuresexist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, the latter being so formedthat air pneumatically transporting the thread and moving into the inletpassage and through the chamber and tothe outlet passage due tosubatmospheric pressures in the latter causes the thread to wrap aroundsaid anchor, and a thread cutter operating thereafter to cut the threadfrom the cloth, whereupon air moving through said chamber causes thethread to unwrap from said anchor.

18. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumaticthread remover having an air chamber therein communicating with an inletpassage having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread andcommunicating with an outlet passage in which subatmospheric pressuresexist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, the latter being so formedthat air pneumatically transporting the thread and moving into the inletpassage and through the chamber and to the outlet passage due tosubatmospheric pressures in the latter causes the thread to wrap aroundsaid anchor, air moving through the outlet passage causing the thread tounwrap from said anchor when the thread is subsequently cut from thecloth.

19. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumaticthread remover having an air chamber therein, a thread anchor in saidchamber, and pneumatic means inducing air transporting the thread tomove through said chamber, the latter being so formed as to cause theair moving therethrough to Wrap the thread on the anchor, air continuingto move through said chamber effective to unwrap the thread from theanchor when the thread is severed from the cloth.

20. In a loom having a thread attached at one end thereof to the cloth,the thread having an end which becomes free incident to a weftreplenishing operation of the loom, a thread anchor, pneumatic meanswrapping the free end around the anchor, and means thereafter cuttingthe thread from the cloth, said pneumatic means thereupon unwrapping thethread from said anchor.

21. In a loom having a thread one end of which is attached to the clothand the other end of which is free, a thread anchor, pneumatic meanscausing said free end to rotate around and Wrap on said anchor, andmeans thereafter cutting said one end from the cloth, whereupon saidpneumatic means causes said one end to rotate around said anchor andunwrap that part of the thread previously wrapped on the anchor.

22. In a loom having a thread one end of which is attached to the clothand the other end of which is free, a thread anchor, pneumatic meanscausing said free end to rotate around and Wrap on said anchor, thecloth and anchor thereupon cooperating to hold the thread taut, andmeans thereafter cutting the thread from the cloth and slackening saidone end, whereupon said pneumatic means unwraps that part of the threadWrapped on said anchor.

LESLIE J. HOOPER. GEORGE N. PETERSON.

